McDonald stakes his claim for finals berth

Victorian pace bowler Andrew McDonald's performance has challenged the selectors to choose him ahead of Australian one-day player Ian Harvey for the Pura Cup final after he snared three wickets for the Bushrangers against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval yesterday.

When Harvey rejoined the Bushrangers upon his return from Sri Lanka this week, the Victorian all-rounder said he felt a bit sorry for McDonald, who seemed likely to make way for his comeback in this match and presumably next week's final as well.

But Harvey's groin strain, which was diagnosed on Tuesday night, gave McDonald a lifeline, one that he seized yesterday after being recalled to the team.

At day's end, Victoria was no closer to learning who it would meet at the MCG on March 12, although Tasmania's recovery from 5-83 just after lunch to a semi-respectable 9-313 at stumps could at least give Bushrangers captain Darren Berry an opportunity to perhaps declare in arrears and eliminate NSW from the equation.

But there is an intriguing race building within the Victorian camp, with McDonald, whose season looked as good as over when Harvey flew into town on Monday night, demanding to be picked ahead of the Australian all-rounder.

After new-ball pair Allan Wise and Mathew Inness took care of the openers within 46 runs of Tasmanian captain Dan Marsh's decision to bat first, McDonald produced some lovely movement in overcast, windy but balmy conditions.

After the highly regarded Shane Watson had driven both Wise and Inness to the boundary, McDonald began by beating him outside the off stump.

Having again beaten Watson's blade in the fifth ball of his third over with a beautiful outswinger, McDonald repeated the dose next ball, this time catching the thinnest of edges as it veered away towards Berry behind the stumps, and giving him his first wicket of the day.

In the second session, he drifted one away from Tiger Michael Di Venuto, who drove straight to David Hussey at gully.

Next ball, McDonald bowled a leg cutter that snicked Marsh's bat on its way to Berry, sending the Tasmanian captain back to the pavilion for a first-ball duck.

McDonald finished the day in second spot on Victoria's wicket-takers' list, with 29 wickets at 26.17 this season, just three behind last year's leading bowler Mick Lewis, but said finals selection was not something he was worrying about.

"I got the ball when it was new today and it was good for me just to be out there playing and doing what I can do to contribute to the team," he said.

"It (this match) is a bit of a lifeline for me so whatever I can do to contribute to the team is good.

"Hopefully we can get five away wins and see what happens ... I got the phone call at 11 o'clock the night before we left (to say I would be playing) so it was a bit of a shock. It's good just to be here playing."

His performance yesterday is sure to cause the selectors a few headaches, and not least because Harvey - whose commitment and dedication to the Victorian cause was questioned by late coach David Hookes at the start of the year - has managed just three first-class matches this summer because of international one-day commitments.

Thankfully, they have a few days to mull it over as Victoria continues its quest to become the first team to complete a clean sweep of five wins away from home in a season.

Today, captain Berry will have the more pressing issue of deciding whether to declare in arrears after the Tigers recovered thanks to century-maker Michael Dighton.

Aside from Dighton, the Tigers offered minimal resistance, especially after debutant Brendan Joseland had Clingeleffer caught at slip with his fourth ball in first-class cricket to end their partnership of 163.